Lovers & Liars
by xhidden.tearsx
Summary: Brooke Davis is a manipulative businesswoman and Lucas Scott is an undercover cop assigned to probe into her life and rip away the image of perfection that she portrays.But when sudden feelings arise they will learn not to mix business and pleasure. AU BL
1. Prologue: Welcome To My Life

DISCLAIMER:**_ I don't own shit._**

TITLE: **_Lovers & Liars_**

PAIRINGS: _**Brooke/Lucas** with Nathan/Peyton, Haley/Julian, Rachel/Jake, and Chase/Alex on the side._

* * *

><p>A burning ember flickered in the night as two slim fingers, both with perfectly manicured fingertips, curled around the filter of the cancerous stick. Loose wisps of raven colored hair softly slapped angelic-like cheeks in the gentle nightly breeze as empty hazel eyes gazed into the distance. It was nights like these that reminded her of her youth, of her innocence. It reminded her of the days that had slowly faded away as the years drug on endlessly; the days when she had nothing to lose and everything to gain. She would give anything to be seventeen again. To go back to a time when life was simple and carefree, when she had the world at her fingertips and nothing else mattered, when she had all the answers to life's many mysteries. She was in such a hurry to grow up; to hit eighteen and be a legal adult; to be free from the wings of her over-bearing parents. She was in such a hurry to leave the place that she had always called home behind and embark on a new journey. But now that she was free, she wanted to turn back the clock and return to the years of innocence and immaturity.<p>

She hadn't wanted her life to turn out this way. But, it wasn't an option. It was her fate, her lifelong destiny. It was expected of her. Being the daughter of a multi-billionaire and CEO of a prestigious company, she had some pretty big shoes to fill. As a child and a teenager, she watched her father deprive thousands of people of their fortunes as he and his family basked in the life of the rich and famous. She was raised a high society girl who was granted the finer and luxurious things in life. So, it was no surprise that she had copied her father's brutal tactics as she aged.

Clothes over Bro's, the current love of her life, had started as a way for her to mend her broken heart. It was her escape; the only thing that she was proud of in her life. She felt a great sense of accomplishment when she looked at her company. She had built the entire empire herself, with of course financial aid from her parents, and in just four short years she had become a multi-million dollar success. But hard work was not the only key to her success. Theft, trickery, deception, manipulation; they all played equally large parts in the formation of the fashion empire that is known as COB, America's most influential clothing line. Every day she deprived people of their fortunes, just like her father once had. She sold her clothes to companies for much higher prices than intended by the COB board, destroyed the original bill of sale, and replicated a newer bill of sale with a much lower price, allowing her to pocket a good chunk of the profit. In the process, the people that had believed in her and invested in her national corporation were being deprived of the money that they rightfully should have earned.

It was wrong. She knew that. But, she was greedy and unable to stop. She loved living the high life; attending luxurious parties on a regular basis, getting preferable celebrity treatment, taking up residence in an extravagant New York penthouse and having the ability to buy whatever her little heart desired. She had learned to trick people into thinking that she was an honest person, just like her father had. After all, she had learned from the best. Her father was a likeable man on the outside but on the inside a cold-hearted monster had awakened, fueled by greed and the drive for wealth. And she too was the same way. Some would even say that she didn't have a soul. She liked to believe that she had one at one point. It had just been ripped to shreds once she sold it to the devil in return for a prestigious life.

As a result of her heartless actions she had burned many of the bridges she had built with people that she had created some of the best memories of her entire life with. Peyton Sawyer was the one that came to mind almost instantly. The rebellious curly-haired blonde and the feisty raven-haired cheerleader had been best friends since the third grade-they were practically like sisters-although not bound by blood-and a force to be reckoned with. Every girl wanted to be them and every guy wanted to date them. Distance had torn them apart after parting ways at the end of high school. They took separate paths; Peyton heading to LA to chase her dream of becoming a well-known face in the music industry and Brooke venturing to New York to start her manipulative career as a deceptive businesswoman. After Peyton discovered Brooke's lies and deceptions, she had cut off all contact, claiming that Brooke had turned into the one thing she vowed to never become; her parents. She had become a mere shell of her pretense parents, a shell that would only expand as she learned how to make in the deceitful world of business. But unlike her father, she was determined not to burn out and end up filing for bankruptcy. She was going to prove to the man that had cut her down all her life that she was simply better than him. And she has what it takes. What he was lacking.

To most her life would seem ruthless and cold. But to her, it was enthralling and exhilarating. And despite how wrong it was. It felt good. It made her feel like she was finally enough.

* * *

><p>AN: I know that I shouldn't be starting a new story but now that school is almost out, I needed something to keep me preoccupied until my laptop is restored and I have my other story "fix me" back. This is just a prologue, I know that there was no actual dialogue but there will be in future chapters. I won't be able to actually start the story until after school is out in June, due to departmentals. But this is just a prologue to see if there is enough interest for the story, otherwise I won't even bother with it. I'm sorry that the prologue is strictly about Brooke but Lucas and the other characters will be introduced and the story will actually start next chapter. This idea is totally AU. It should be pretty straightforward and easy to follow without giving too much background information. It's a different idea and won't be anything like the other stories I have written in the past. It's a fresh new idea and I am really excited to go with it as long as there is enough interest. Also, the way that Brooke runs her company is very similar to the way that Dan ran his company in seaso two on the actual show. So if you get confused at all, just think of Dan and his scam. I have lots of great ideas for this story so please, please review if you are interest in seeing this story progress!<p> 


	2. Bad Company

_A company, a__lways on the run_

_A destiny, i__t's the rising sun_

_I was born, __a shotgun in my hands_

_Behind the gun, __I'll make my final stand_

_xxxx_

"Scott!" Sergeant Lucas Scott snapped his head up at the harsh sound of Deputy Colin Barrett's voice.

"Yeah?" the blonde asked with a hard face. Being a cop was a difficult job. As a detective cop, Lucas Scott has seen it all. Things that would make most people cringe; give them nightmares, they were something that Lucas endured on a daily basis. Work was his life. It was what he lived for. He investigated many different cases, mostly in the state of North Carolina, although he travelled sometimes for work, ranging from homicides to brutal attacks to drug-related offenses to theft. He locked away guys that took innocent lives, ran grow-ops and were involved in schemes.

When Lucas was young his initial goal was to become a writer. He dropped out of college at nineteen when his first novel was published. After the success of "An Unkindness of Ravens", a book written about his horrific high school years spent as the 'illegitimate son' of the infamous Dan Scott, Lucas struggled miserably to write another novel because he lacked inspiration. At twenty two he was broke and incredibly unhappy with his life-so he took a loan from the bank and went back to college-this time to become a cop. He wasn't sure why he chose this career path; it just seemed to fit. He was highly intelligent and persuasive and most importantly he was fearless. The things he saw bothered him but he was able to mask his emotions and put on a brave front in order to get the job done.

"In my office," Colin barked, breaking Lucas from his train of thought.

Lucas nodded, turning on his heel and breathing out a heavy sigh as he reached the office that belonged to Deputy Colin Barrett, one of the toughest and most admirable men that Lucas Scott had ever known.

"So…" Colin mused, clasping his calloused hands together. Colin had once been a sergeant just like Lucas but had quickly worked his way up the ranks and became the Deputy just before he hit forty, which was an amazing accomplishment. "I called you in here to talk about something I'd like you to consider."

"Sure," Lucas nodded hesitantly as his mind waged a war inside his head, weighing out all the possibilities. What could Colin possibly have to discuss with him? He hadn't done anything wrong… at least not that he could remember anyways.

"As you may have heard, Lieutenant Banks is retiring, and his position will be opening up," Colin gave him a slight smile as he ran a rough hand through his wavy blonde locks, tinged with streaks of silver. "I was very impressed with your work on the Jack Elton case and I think that you have what it takes to make a great Lieutenant so I'd like to promote you."

"Seriously?" Lucas blinked, excitement coursing through his body. He was sure that Mason was going to score the position, not him. He hadn't even been on the force that long-only four years.

"You have the skill," Colin smiled. "But you don't have the experience and I'm not sure you can handle it."

"Oh," Lucas looked down, his smile faltering at the false hope he'd jsut received.

"I have one final task for you," Colin spoke up, searching for some documents on his cluttered desk. "You can solve homicide cases and you can bust just about anybody involved in a drug-related offense but you don't have very much experience at all with theft and capital scams." He shoved the papers at Lucas. "Here, I want you to read over these documents because I'm handing this case over to you as a final test to see if you are fit for the job. If you pass, I give you the promotion. If you fail, I give it to Mason. Deal?"

Lucas nodded, his crystal blue eyes travelling down the page and gazing over the black ink that held his destiny.

"It's a capital scam that has been suspected for a few years now but nobody has taken legal action upon it yet," Colin spoke, causing Lucas's eyes to retract from the page and focus on his boss. "You will need to travel to New York."

"New York?" Lucas had never lived anywhere but Tree Hill. He was Tree Hill born and bred. And the truth was, he was scared of the real world-and now he was being forced to move to the biggest city in the entire country for a few months.

"Yep," Colin nodded, popping his 'p' as he spoke. "You ever heard of Clothes over Bro's? Brooke Davis is the owner- she used to live here or something."

"Yeah, of course," Lucas nodded curtly, his stomach suddenly tightening at the mention of the brunette vixen that had indirectly broken his heart. "We went to High School together…"

"She is suspected of being caught in the middle of a capital scam regarding her company-Clothes over Bro's. There is no evidence and nobody really knows what exactly the scam is but there is something suspicious going on with her company regarding the distribution of its money. And I want you to probe into her life and find out what she is doing and then if possible, destroy her."

Lucas shook his head. "Are you sure you've got the right person? That doesn't sound like something Brooke Davis would do."

"It is most definitely Brooke Davis that we are after…"

"But then again I don't really know her that well and you can't underestimate the depths at which a person will go to achieve their goals," Lucas agreed with the slight shrug of his shoulders. "I'll do it."

"Good luck," Colin smiled lightly as Lucas stood up, biceps bulging under his police attire. "And I know you'll make me proud son."

"Thanks," Lucas nodded appreciatively as he reached forward and pushed the oak door open, letting it slowly creep shut, clicking into place.

He let out a defeated sigh and ran a hand tiredly over his temple. Never in a million years did Lucas Scott think he'd be assigned to expose the deceptions of Brooke Davis-America's sweetheart and the girl that he had pined for constantly in High School. His lips curved in a sinister grin, hate swirling in the depths of his blue eyes. She hadn't noticed him in High School; she'd just shove past him, send him a glare for standing in her way and make the occasional joke about him being a bastard son. Now the real trick was luring Brooke Davis towards him. She didn't even know him and getting into her life was going to be a difficult task-but nothing was too difficult for Lucas Scott.

* * *

><p>"Millicent!"<p>

The timid brunette pushed her glasses further up on the bridge of her nose and shuddered when she heard the bark of her boss-the superficial and manipulative Brooke Davis.

"Coming," Millicent responded in a military-like voice, succumbing to the harsh demands of her boss. She let out a shaky breath, her body racking with fear, as she pushed open the glass door that hid Brooke's office from the rest of the building.

"What the hell are these?" Brooke yelled raspily, pointing to a stack of intricately drawn designs.

"Oh, just some designs that I sketched. I thought you might be able to use them for the new line," Millicent responded coyly, beaming proudly at her designs. She had spent all of her free time working on them, carefully constructing them with just a pencil and a sheet of paper.

"Excuse me?" Brooke asked pointblank, disbelief and anger crawling across her face. "How many times do we have to go over this Millicent?" she groaned frustratedly. "You are the assistant and I am the designer. You do not get to design clothes! You get to fill out my paperwork, answer my phone, fill out my schedule, book my meetings and run errands for me; that is all!"

"I know," Millicent's smile faltered. "I just thought that…"

"Well you thought wrong," the raven haired beauty cut her off harshly as she picked the designs up and ripped them apart mercilessly until they were shreds of nothing. All of Millicent's hard work and meticulously drawn designs had just gone down the drain.

"Here," she growled, handing her assistant a new stack of papers. "I suggest that you don't take a lunch break today because you have lots of work to do. I want all of these papers filled out before you leave the office, even if it takes half the night, I don't care."

Millicent fought back the tears that were threatening to slip from her brown eyes as she stared at her boss and nodded her head obediently, "Of course."

"You can go now," Brooke hissed with the dismissal of her hand, spinning her chair around and rifling through her desk. Yes, some would say that Brooke Davis didn't have a soul. She'd sold it to the devil long ago.

As she heard the door click shut, she let out a weighted sigh. She didn't enjoy treating her employees the way that she just had. In fact, it burned her insides and made her feel dirty, but all it took was for her to be reminded of her extravagant life and her father and the way she'd been treated growing up; and the monster inside her cold-hearted soul was awakened and sprung to life. If she didn't deserve to be loved and treated with respect as a child, then why the hell should anyone else?

* * *

><p><em>Rebel souls<em>

_Deserters we've been called_

_Chose a gun_

_And threw away the sun_

_Now these towns they all know our names_

_The death punch sound is our claim to fame_

_xxxx_

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late," Lucas apologized profusely as he slid his jacket off his shoulders and hung it on the back of a vacant chair, sliding into the empty seat beside Haley James, his best friend since childhood. "Traffic was a bitch."

"It's okay," Jake Jagielski, his other childhood best friend smiled warmly as he slid a beer across the table towards Lucas. "We've already ordered." Every Friday the gang met at TRIC for drinks and food to discuss their week. The days ran together and each member of the close-knit group found themselves busier as the days progressed and they buried themselves in both work and life.

Lucas was busy tending to the law whereas Haley stood before a classroom full of hormonal teenagers whilst attempting to inject knowledge about literature into their youthful brains and Jake ran TRIC, where they were currently sitting.

Julian Baker, a prominent movie producer, who was added to their group when he moved to Tree Hill a mere five years ago from LA, spent his days looking over scripts; tossing most of them into the trash but occasionally a good one that was worth making a movie out of would come along and he'd end up either filming it right in Tree Hill or travelling for a few months to film. Chase Adams, the final member of their group, had joined the inseparable trio during their Junior Year of high school, and now tended to the bar at TRIC whilst teaching flying lessons at the Tree Hill Air School in his spare time. To say they were close would be an understatement.

"So," Lucas smiled. "How was everyone's day?"

"Boring," Chase replied monotonically as he casually sipped his beer. "There is nothing fun about teaching people how to fly an airplane."

Haley snorted. "Try standing in front of twenty four hormonal teenagers that don't know a thing or two about Shakespeare and would rather die than learn it."

"You're the one that chose to be a teacher Hales," Chase reminded her, sticking his tongue out playfully.

"That was before I actually experienced it. The idea of it sounded nice; just like tutoring right? But, it's not. It isn't one on one, instead its twenty four against one."

"God, do you hear us bitching about our lives like a bunch of burnouts facing a mid-life crisis?" Jake cut in with an amused laugh. "We are twenty eight and doing great things with our lives, we should be celebrating, not complaining.

"He's right," Julian spoke up for the first time, finally tearing his gaze away from his cellphone. "Here's to being twenty eight and fucking amazing," he smiled, holding his beer mug up for a round of cheers.

Everyone drank simultaneously, just as the food arrived.

"So, I have some news," Lucas smiled nervously, reaching for a hot wing and dipping it in ranch dressing. Four expectant faces stared back at him, curiosity written on each of them.

"Yeah?" Julian mused, picking at Lucas's french fries, only to receive a swat in return.

"Get your own fries Baker," he warned, shaking a fry in Julian's face threateningly, causing the brunette male to exert a laugh. "Anyways, I talked to Barrett today…"

"And?" Haley asked uninterestedly as she stared at a text on her blackberry, her fingers quickly typing a response.

"Are you even listening to me?" Lucas interrogated accusingly as he threw a fry at Haley, narrowly missing her as it ricocheted off Jake's forehead.

"Hey!" Jake protested, throwing the fry back with a laugh.

"What are you guys, two?" Haley chuckled, sliding her phone into her pocket and resting her elbows on the table, giving Lucas her full attention. "Try to act your age, not your shoe size."

"Anyways…" Lucas drawled. "If anyone cares, I got offered a promotion today."

All eyes turned to the blonde simultaneously. "Lucas, that's great!" Haley finally spoke, reaching over and wrapping her arms tightly around Lucas.

"Congrats man," Chase smiled, holding his fist out for Lucas to pound.

"But there's a catch to it," Lucas spoke distastefully, reaching for a nacho from the plate in the center of the table. "I have to do one final task for Barrett to prove I'm worthy of the job."

"Please don't tell me that you have to move in order to accept the promotion," Haley groaned as she popped a fry into her mouth.

"Not exactly," Lucas shook his head. "I have to investigate a capital scam in New York and expose the mastermind for who she truly is."

"What's so bad about that?" Julian asked coolly with the simplest shrug of his broad shoulders.

"The mastermind behind the capital scam is…" Lucas started, taking in a deep breath and preparing for the looks of complete and utter shock he was expecting as a reaction to his statement. "Brooke Davis."

The minute those two words rolled off of his tongue, three faces turned stony and indeed shocked. Nobody spoke.

"Again, I repeat, what's so bad about that?" Julian asked, oblivious to the sudden tension. "Doesn't she run that clothing company? Clothes over boys or whatever."

"Clothes over Bro's," Lucas clarified. "And yeah. But we also went to high school with her…" he added, motioning in between him, Haley, Jake and Chase.

"And she was a major bitch that thought she ran the school and could dictate everyone's lives with her controlling and manipulating demeanor," Haley spoke up coldly as she temporarily relived her high school past and the hell that Brooke Davis and her equally bitchy sidekicks Rachel Gatina and Peyton Sawyer had put her through.

"And Lukey had a thing for her," Jake singsonged as he took a sip of his beer.

"Everyone had a thing for her in high school," Lucas clarified as he shot Jake a dirty look. "She was a beautiful vixen, absolutely gorgeous," he smiled, a dreamy look sweeping across his face. "But she's still a bitch and if I have to sell her out in order to get ahead in my career, then I will. She accounts for about one half of the hell I endured in high school."

"And how exactly are you gonna lure the beautiful and seductive Brooke Davis towards you?" Jake smiled sinisterly. "I mean no offense or anything but she wouldn't even bat an eyelash at you in high school. What makes you think it will be any different now?"

"I don't know yet," Lucas shrugged, taking a long sip of his beer and wiping the stray liquid from his mouth. "But I will find a way."

"I have an idea," Julian grinned, taking a bite of his food. "And it wouldn't even involve you leaving Tree Hill temporarily.

Lucas cocked his head at the sound of Julian's idea. "What's your idea Einstein?" he asked somewhat sarcastically because usually Julian's ideas were shit.

"We could make a movie," he smiled brightly, clearly proud of his idea.

Lucas had to stifle his laughter. "That's your idea? We make a movie? No offense Baker but I'm not sure how that is going to help me get close to Brooke Davis."

"It's simple," Julian smiled as if there was nothing to it. "We make a movie based on 'An Unkindness of Ravens'. My dad loved the book and I know that he'd be all for it. And if Brooke knew she was mentioned in the book, I bet you she would be down to do costumes for the movie."

"You know Julian," Lucas smiled as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I think your idea is well for once… brilliant."

"I do have my moments, you know?" Julian chuckled as he popped a fry in his mouth innocently.

"So you'll ask your dad about it like ASAP?"

"I can call him right now," Julian grinned as he pulled his cellphone out from his jean pocket and began pressing numbers. "Just give me a second," he mumbled as he excused himself from the table. "Uh… hey dad it's me, Julian, you know your son?" the brunette male mumbled awkwardly as he began walking away from the table.

"I can't believe you're gonna destroy Brooke Davis," Haley giggled giddily, looking like a little kid on Christmas morning. "It's about time someone gets revenge on that stupid bitch for making high school a living hell for the rest of us."

"Hales," Lucas chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm not doing this in spite of revenge; I am doing this because my career is riding on this one case; everything I've worked for depends upon this."

"So you're telling me that this has nothing to do with the fact that Brooke Davis usually ignored you in high school and made your life hell when she wasn't ignoring you? Haley raised an accusing eyebrow, receiving a nod in response from her blonde best friend. "Bullshit!"

"Okay, let me set you straight Hales," Lucas said, clasping his hands together impatiently. "I am not doing it because I want revenge but the way she treated me helps. I can just reflect on our high school years and that is enough incentive to go through with this plan. In fact, it kind of makes me want to do it…"

"Well…" Haley began, only to be cut off by Julian.

"My dad said yes!"

"Seriously?" Lucas turned to his friend with excitement. "You're not fucking with me man?"

"No I'm not fucking with you man," Julian shook his brunette locks. "He said he would love to make a movie based on your book. He thinks the book is brilliant and raw and honest and he thinks it is what I need to get my own career back on track. He even says that he is so confident in the film being a success that he is willing to give us a high film budget."

"So, are you guys in?" Lucas asked, turning to Haley and Jake. "I need someone to do the soundtrack and you guys are perfect for it."

"But… what about work and stuff. It will take up too much time," Haley spoke, fiddling with her thumbs absentmindedly.

"Please?"

Haley sighed, unable to say no to Lucas. "Fine," she caved, looking at Jake who nodded. "We're in."

"So, we're making a movie huh guys?" Lucas smiled.

"Nah, I'm not in this for the movie. I'm in this for the revenge," Haley gave him a crooked smile as she rubbed her hands together. "That bitch is finally going to get what she deserves."

* * *

><p>"Don't want that, don't want that," Brooke Davis singsonged to herself as she discarded random items of mail into the garbage beside her desk. She smiled as she pulled a destroyed bill of sale out from underneath her personal mail and quickly shoved it in the paper shredder before hitting the power button and watching the truth quickly dissipate into a million little incoherent remnants. She grabbed the new bill of sale, in which she'd just issued, and stuffed it into her filing folder with a satisfied smile.<p>

She began organizing the various papers still remaining on her desktop, running her fingers along the smooth marble surface. Her gaze landed on a photograph with tattered edges and she picked it up, lightly stroking the surface. It was a picture of her and Richard-her father-or sperm donor as she referred to him as. She felt adrenaline mixed with hate and rage course through her body as she flung the picture down on the desk. It was only a reminder of why she lead the life she did.

_FLASHBACK (13 years ago)_

"_You lying cheating whore!" _

_CRASH_

_BOOM_

_BANG_

_She cringed as the sound of glass connecting with the walls' hard surface echoed like gunshots, ringing throughout the house._

_A fifteen year old girl curled up under her covers, listening to the drunken bickering between her bitter parents._

"_I hate you!" Her mother's sharp, volatile voice seeped through her bedroom walls, filling the silence of the still night, the venom dripping from her tongue violently._

"_Yeah, well, I fucking hate you too!" Her father bit back, a cruel undertone in his voice, followed by a bitter laugh. _

"_I can't do this anymore!" Victoria broke down and Brooke could only imagine the tears slipping down her face. "You're a monster!"_

_She hears more shouting, followed by a few malicious death threats, the sound of flesh connecting with flesh, and a door slamming._

"_Daddy?" the thirteen year old brunette asked timidly as she stood atop the stairs, rubbing her sleep-filled eyes._

"_Princess, go back to bed," her father gave her a disheartened smile. "Mommy will be back in the morning."_

"_Is it true?" She asked pointblank, her outspoken nature kicking in._

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Did you steal money from all those people?"_

"_Brooke…" Richard sighed, looking at the ground momentarily. "I did it so that I could give you a good life. I wanted you to be happy princess…"_

"_I can't believe you," she glared at her father ominously, darkness clouding in the depths of her hazel eyes. "I can't fucking believe you would do that! Those people believed in you and you took their money! I am happy with my life and I'd rather be poor than have a criminal for a father!"_

_She sent her father a cold, menacing glare before turning on her heel. _

_She felt a sharp ache dig into her wrist as pain shot through her body. "OWWWW!" She let out a bloodcurdling screech. "You're fucking hurting me," she screamed, ripping her wrist away from her father's death grip just in time to see blood-her own crimson red blood-drip from the deep laceration he had inflicted upon her delicate wrist. "FUCK!" she yelled, clutching her severed wrist, blood dripping from the cut and pooling onto the floor. _

"_I swear to god if you tell anyone about this, you will wish you were never born!" he growled, anger forming in his eyes, a hidden monster awakening in his icy, heartless soul and roaring to life as he slammed her violently against the wall, ignoring the sobs that shook her body fiercely._

"_Do you fucking understand me?" He demanded spitefully, receiving a meek nod in response from the petrified brunette. "Good," he snarled, letting go of her shirt with his balled up fist and dropping her onto the cold hard floor with a harsh thud. He stepped over her indignantly, shooting her a 'don't you fucking say anything or your ass is dead' look, his blood covered hand turning the silver doorknob as he disappeared into the black night. _

_END FLASHBACK_

It wasn't until that night that she'd seen her father painted in such a volatile light. His callous soul had been hidden behind his 'nice guy' and 'good father' exterior and that night the untamed beast had spurred to life and made her forever hate him. She was internally damaged as a result of his cruelty and brutality. Her relationship with her father would only go downhill from there. She would make sure to stay clear of his way, especially when he was inebriated or when profits weren't soaring. And that night, she had also promised herself to become the opposite of her pretentious parents. She would find a man that loved all of her; every little piece of her, even her flaws and she would own a small fashion company. She got caught up in the fame and fortune of running a successful company and soon she was willing to do anything to achieve the highest profit. She started turning into her father. And love-well, she began to think that true love never existed in reality. Fairytale endings were only in movies, they didn't exist in the cold, harsh real world.

* * *

><p>AN: I didn't plan on updating so soon but I just had to! There wasn't as much interest in the story as I would have liked but I thought by adding another chapter with real substance, more readers might become interested in this story. Also, please don't hate me for making Brooke the way that I did. I know she's extremely OOC but I promise that I will paint her in a different light later on as things start to piece together. Needless to say, she won't be a miserable bitch for the whole story. Song lyrics are 'Bad Company' by Bad Company in case anyone was wondering. Anyways tell me what you all think, is it worth continuing or not?<p> 


	3. Indifference

The alcohol burned his throat as it made its way through his system. He slammed the shot glass down onto the bar countertop hard, sliding it forward for a refill.

"You okay man?" Jake asked gingerly with the raise of an eyebrow, receiving a grunt from the tough-fronted cop in response. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Just second guessing myself man," the blonde responded impassively as Jake slid him another shot. "I mean you said it yourself, she would barely acknowledge me in high school and when I was acknowledged it wasn't for a good reason, so why would she do so now?"

"I don't know," Jake shrugged as he turned around. Suddenly, a light bulb went on inside his head. "I think I know someone who might be able to help."

"Who?" Lucas asked doubtfully as he slugged the shot down his throat, wiping the stray liquid from his lips as his insides burned.

"Peyton Sawyer," Jake responded monotonically as he was reminded of the fiery blonde that he'd once had immense feelings for although he'd never acted upon them.

"Peyton?" Lucas interrogated, his brow furrowing quizzically.

"Yeah," Jake shrugged. "They were best friends in high school."

"And that is exactly why she wouldn't be able to help," Lucas mumbled without missing a beat. "They're best friends so why would Peyton want to sell Brooke out? She could go to prison for what I'm about to do to her…"

"You haven't heard?" Jake raised an eyebrow daringly, receiving the shake of blonde locks in response. "Guess not… Okay well, they aren't friends anymore. In fact, they haven't spoken in years."

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked probingly as he swirled the liquid in his re-stocked glass absentmindedly. "How do you even know that?"

"Well Peyton lives here… she just moved back a few months ago," Jake disclosed. "She's the one I'm renting the space in the back of TRIC out to… for her newly formed record label."

"Peyton's the one renting from you?" Lucas's eyes widened in surprise as he tipped his head back and chased yet another shot down.

"Yeah," Jake shrugged casually. "I asked her if she was friends with Brooke in a casual conversation one day and she said no. She said something about Brooke making bad choices and now they don't talk. She didn't say it directly but I think she knows something about Brooke's scheme."

"I need to talk to her Jake!" Lucas quickly insisted as his head shot up from the slump that it was currently in. "Do you have her number?"

"Yeah, it's written down here somewhere," Jake nodded as he searched through some papers behind the counter. He grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen as he lazily scrawled the number across the paper. "Here ya go."

"Thanks man," Lucas grinned as he got up and shot his friend an appreciative look. "I gotta go… Hales is picking me up but I will see you tomorrow night. You're a lifesaver Jake."

"No problem," Jake chuckled as he fixed a drink for another customer. "Good luck man. I really hope Peyton can be of assistance to you."

* * *

><p>The neon numbers on her iPhone blinked 2:05 AM as she shuffled some papers around on her desk. She leaned her head back tiredly and let a heavy sigh escape her lips. Sometimes she wished that she could just live a normal life and work didn't consume the majority of her time. But she had to keep pushing herself in order to prove her monstrous father wrong.<p>

_FLASHBACK (11 years ago)_

"_Brooklyn, where the hell have you been?" His voice was slurred and his eyes glassy, his head slumped down on the table. Great, he was drunk._

"_Out," she responded passively as she slipped her shoes off, hoping to slip past him up the stairs._

"_It's three o'clock in the morning," he hissed explosively, his hand digging into her arm and coercing her to turn around and face him. "What the hell were you doing out this late at night?"_

"_I was at a party…" she mumbled, looking down submissively._

"_Whoring yourself around just like your mother?" he chuckled bitterly, the animosity dripping from his tongue. There were times when Richard Davis could be the sweetest man around. But there were also times when Richard Davis could be the most cold-souled, callous monster around; when he was intoxicated or facing struggles regarding his company._

_Brooke put her head down, trying her best to conceal the tears that were pooling in the depths of her hazel eyes._

"_Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Richard exploded, a fire spurring and roaring to life in his cold blue eyes, as he grabbed her face roughly and yanked her towards him._

"_I… j-just… w-wanna g-go to b-bed," she stuttered, her voice faltering at his harshness. "Please?"_

"_You're fucking worthless," he chuckled sinisterly, the hate in his eyes shining through. "I knew I should have listened to your mother when she said she didn't want any children."_

"_Don't say that," she pleaded pathetically, her voice barely above a whisper._

"_You're pathetic." He looked at her with pure disgust, like she was some kind of a disease. "I wanted a boy, one to take on the family name and run my company when my time is done. I thought that maybe, just maybe, you would be able to do it but I was clearly wrong."_

"_I can do it," she whispered timidly, her hazel irises lifting from the floor and staring into his menacing eyes._

"_No, you can't," he spewed with malice. "You don't have what it takes. You need to be tough, cold and heartless to do my job but you… you're too nice… you have a soul. You don't even have a fucking backbone. You can't even stand up to your old man. How are you gonna stand up to the corporate world of America?"_

"_Yes I can," she repeated, his voice rising slightly. "You'll see."_

_FLASHBACK END_

She hated being told that she wasn't enough, that she was worthless and a mistake. She was going to prove to her malicious father that she has what it takes to make it in the corporate world of America; it didn't matter to what depths she had to go to achieve her goal, she was going to do it.

* * *

><p>His hands shook uncontrollably as he held his cellphone in his hand, his eyes trained on the sheet of paper that held Peyton Sawyer's number. "You're a fucking cop Scott, you can do this," he mumbled to himself as he raised his finger and began punching the numbers in. He let out a sigh before hitting the green number, the sound of the phone ringing suddenly assaulting his ears.<p>

"Hey…" an uninterested voice drug on tiredly.

"Uh… hey… Peyton?" He asked nervously, his tongue suddenly caught in his throat.

"Yeah?" She clicked her tongue absentmindedly.

"It's me Lucas… we went to high school together."

"Lucas?" she questioned, trying to recall who was on the other line. "I'm sorry… I don't remember a Lucas."

"I'm Jake's friend," he responded, hoping to ring a bell. "Nathan Scott's half-brother…"

"Oh…" she nodded, her mind instantly remembering him at the mention of the last little bit of information. "What can I do for you?"

"I heard you were back in town."

"Yeah…" she answered as he heard shuffling on the other end of the line.

"Can I meet you for lunch please?" he asked quickly. "I know that we aren't friends but I really need to ask you something. It's important..."

"Um… okay, how about we meet at the Riverside Café at noon?" she suggested.

"That will be fine."

"Okay… I guess I will see you at noon then," she mumbled awkwardly, her mind waging a war inside her head as she struggled to think of reasons as to why he would want to meet with her. She didn't even know him.

"Okay… thanks Peyton. Good-bye," he smiled as his phone clicked shut, ending the awkward call.

* * *

><p>Lucas Scott twiddled his thumbs distractedly as he sipped his coffee and bounced his leg up and down nervously.<p>

"Lucas?"

He smiled at the sound of a voice behind him. A tall, leggy blonde with bright green eyes appeared before him, a serious look on her face. She looked the same as she did in high school with the exception of her hair, which was shorter and straight.

"Wow, you clean up good," she smirked as she set her bag down on the floor beside the empty chair across from him. "I wouldn't have recognized you."

"Thanks Peyton," he intoned sarcastically. "You look nice too."

"Well I always did," she smiled, lightening the mood. "Now would you care to tell me why exactly it is that I am here?"

"Still brief and to the point?" he teased, shooting her a small smile. The truth was, of the three girls that ruled Tree Hill High when he attended it, Peyton was probably the nicest. And he felt like he could relate to her better than the other two.

"You don't know me," she accused with the raise of an ash blonde colored eyebrow. "You never did…"

"I'm here because I need your help," he smiled as he reached into his bag and pulled a few sheets of paper out.

"With?"

"You and Brooke don't talk anymore?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"We haven't spoken in years," Peyton nodded as she sipped her water casually.

"If you don't mind me asking, why?"

"What is this? Twenty questions?"

"Just answer the question Peyton," he mumbled firmly.

"We just parted ways after high school. We became two different people that wanted two different things in life and we just grew apart," she shrugged, throwing her blonde locks over her shoulder carelessly.

"Really?" he raised an eyebrow daringly. "Jake told me something more about why you two don't speak."

"It's not really your business…"

"You know about the scam don't you?" he cut in fleetingly as he reached for his drink, swishing the black liquid around before taking a sip, allowing the caffeine to seep into his system.

"What?" She turned to him, shock crawling across her soft face. "I don't know what you're talking about…"

"I think you do Peyton…" He argued demandingly, crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly. "We can either do this the hard way or the easy way. You pick?"

"It's not any of your business Lucas!" Peyton spewed. "You don't even know Brooke."

"But I know that she is running a scam Peyton!" Lucas responded back, his voice raising. "And it isn't right. I need you to tell me all that you can about it."

"I can't…" Peyton shook her head, refusing to crack. "I don't approve of what she does. It's wrong and I never wanted her to turn out that way but I promised her that I would never sell her out. And I won't because despite all that we've been through, she's still my Brookie and the girl that I love is still in there somewhere."

"I'm an undercover cop Peyton," Lucas finally let out, his eyes turning serious. "I need to know everything that I can because I was assigned to probe into her life and determine more about the scam."

"No," Peyton shook her head defiantly. "I won't. I can't."

"Peyton…"

"You are putting me in a really hard place right now Lucas," Peyton responded distastefully. "I can't sell her out and at the same time I don't want to get involved in this. I want no part of it."

"We're making a movie," Lucas responded finally. "I'm going to try to get her to do the costumes for it so that I can get closer to her. If she agrees and comes back to Tree Hill, do you swear not to tell her about me being a cop?"

"Like I said, I don't talk to her anymore," Peyton shrugged. "But, I'm not selling her out."

"So I can count on you?"

"I won't say a word."

"I was also wondering if you would be willing to help out with the soundtrack for the movie?"

"I guess…" she shrugged. "Just don't drag me into this thing with you and Brooke."

"I won't," he promised.

"Okay," she nodded. "I'll do the movie but I will not under any circumstances sell my former best friend out."

"Thank you Peyton."

* * *

><p>Burning embers of light poured into the room as the sound of a beeping alarm jarred the brunette vixen from her peaceful slumber. "Fuck," she grumbled, rolling over and slamming her hand onto the alarm, silencing the sound that had assaulted her ears. The neon numbers blinked 6:30 AM. Her feet hit the floor as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and made her way down the hall towards the lavish kitchen. Her head was pounding profusely. It was like a freight train had run over her in her sleep, then backed up, and ran over her again, repeatedly. She stretched her arms up to reach into the medicine cabinet, located conveniently above the coffee maker. She swallowed two large red, extra-strength Tylenols dry as she hit the start button on the coffee maker, the filter ready to go and the water already poured. Her feet made their way across the cold tiles of the kitchen floor and stopped once they reached the door to her balcony, which overlooked the brilliant city of New York. She slipped a pair of white flip flops on as she pushed open the double french doors. Golden beams of sunlight filtered into the house whilst illuminating the beautiful city that loomed overhead. She closed the door and slipped onto the terrace, letting her bottom sink into a lounge chair. The smell of freshly cut green grass mixed with toxins filled her nose as she listened to the birds chirp and the cars and taxis whizz by in fury. She took a long drag of her cigarette, allowing its' toxic contents to seep into her system through cherry red lips. She exhaled a cloud of smoke that lingered above her head as she scrolled through her iPhone, checking her schedule for the day. Today was going to be a good day. She could just feel it.<p>

* * *

><p>"Can't you do anything right?" Brooke barked as she threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "The stitching is all wrong! Start over…" She walked into her empire, immediately throwing around demands as she juggled a handful of papers.<p>

"Here you go," her assistant Millicent whispered, immediately rushing to Brooke's side with a Starbucks coffee. "Extra foam."

"Good," Brooke sneered, grabbing the coffee and pulling her keys out as she neared her office. She inserted the key into the lock as she struggled to hold her belongings in her arms and open the door simultaneously.

She pushed the door open, falling into her office and flicking the lights on as she threw her papers and coffee onto the shiny marble desktop. She let out a weighty sigh as she collapsed onto the chair and opened her computer, hoping to get a head start on planning her next scheme.

She heard a wrap on the door and let out a groan. "Yes!"

"Can I come in?" She recognized her mother's vehement voice on the other side of the oak door.

"Yeah," she sighed with defeat as she closed her laptop and folded her hands on top of her desk. "What can I do for you?"

"Business is good, yeah?"

"Of course…" She gave her mother a quick nod and forced herself to smile. "Business is always good."

"You've been working rather hard," her mother commented as she ran her finger along Brooke's desktop, finally sitting in the seat opposite her daughter. "You deserve a break."

"When you run a capital business such as this one, you don't get a break, no matter how much you deserve one," Brooke spoke irrationally as she leafed through some papers on her desk. "You don't get a break when there is work to be done. I can't leave my company in the hands of these unknowledgeable little employees for a few weeks, even days. They will run my company into the fucking ground."

"I can always run the company for a few weeks, even months if need be. I'm not an 'unknowledgeable little employee,'" her mother responded with a slight smile. "I was married to Richard Davis, the master of scheming and scamming, for eighteen years Brooke. I think I can handle running this company without running it into the ground."

"That may be so," Brooke agreed. "But, I don't need a break."

"Well, it's just something to think about," Victoria shrugged as she played with the seams on her jacket. "So, how is the new line coming along?"

"It's done," Brooke spoke without emotion. "And I have already finalized one scam based on it. This new line is gold Victoria. I think I'm really gonna hit big with it."

"Good for you," she smiled again, her laugh lines showing, resembling a much older version of Brooke. "You deserve it."

"Thank you," Brooke smiled gratefully, glad that at least one of her parents was still somewhat nice to her. She and Victoria had a strange relationship though. They talked about things and Brooke confided in her on both a personal and professional level. Victoria was a hard, emotionless woman with solid brown eyes that didn't showcase emotion. She was stern and had never shed a tear in her life, she didn't sympathize for people. She was cold-souled, like her daughter, some would even say she didn't have a soul either. She was venomous when she wanted to be and it was better to be her friend than her enemy.

"Well, I should be going," Victoria said, glancing at her watch. "I'm going to be late for my next meeting but I will see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," Brooke nodded uninterestedly as she turned back to her computer. "Bye mother."

"Think about what I said," Victoria called over her shoulder, smiling at her daughter.

"Uh-huh," Brooke nodded, her mind fully consumed by the work that lay before her as she painted on her smile, and watched her mothers' figure retreat through the door.

* * *

><p>"SLUT!"<p>

"Whore!" Brooke yelled back instinctively as she grabbed a paper from the photo copier and began heading back to her office, passing people along the way. "Wait a second, whore! What the hell are you doing here?" Brooke blinked with confusion as she did a double-take. Standing before her was Rachel Gatina, the devil herself.

"Thought I'd stop by," Rachel smirked as she followed Brooke into her office and gently closed the door. "I figured my best friend missed me."

Brooke smiled as she wrapped her arms around the fiery red-head. "I did miss you Rach."

"So, how's business?"

"Good," Brooke smiled as she shoved her filing folder forward. "I've really been raking it in good."

"Are you sure this isn't getting a little crazy?" Rachel asked, biting her lip. "I mean that is a lot of money that isn't really yours…"

"Rachel!" Brooke snapped. "You know I don't enjoy doing this but I have to because of _him."_

"Whatever," Rachel shrugged, waving it off. "So how's life?"

"Fine," Brooke mumbled. "But what the hell are you even doing here? I haven't seen you in almost a year! What happened to Europe?"

"Just got sick of it," Rachel shrugged, examining her nails, which she suddenly found amusing. "I missed life here in America."

"Okay, Rachel, I've been your best friend for years," Brooke raised an eyebrow at the red-head. "So, who's the guy?"

"What guy?"

"Rachel…"

"He was just some dumb Italian," Rachel shrugged as she continued picking at her nails distractedly. "No big deal."

"Come on Rachel, I know you. This must have been serious."

"Fine," Rachel surrendered, sending her best friend a look of sadness and pain. "His name was Owen and he was soooo hot and nice too," Rachel smiled, a dreamy look sweeping across her face. "We got pretty serious and that is why I had to end it."

"Rachel!" Brooke looked at her friend sternly. "Fear is the only thing holding you back from falling in love with this guy."

"He was too good for me," Rachel shrugged, a tear threatening to seep from her brown eyes. "I didn't deserve him."

"But…"

"So… how about you?" Rachel asked, cutting Brooke off with a dirty look. "Who's heart or should I say bed have you been in lately?"

"None," Brooke sighed, looking down. "Love doesn't exist."

"Sure it does," Rachel smiled weakly, not missing the look of emptiness in her best friend's eyes, but she wasn't going to be the one to pry. "So, you need a model?"

Brooke's head shot up, a crooked smile replacing the ever-present frown. "Yes! I always have room for more models. Wait… does this mean that you are back for good?"

"Yeah," Rachel smiled. "I think I'm gonna stay awhile."

* * *

><p>Lucas Scott smiled inwardly as he grabbed a pair of jeans and shoved them in his suitcase. In just two mere hours, he would be sitting on a New-York bound airplane, preparing to face Tree Hill's legendary she-devil, Brooke Davis.<p>

Even in High School Brooke had been indifferent. It was just her way of covering up her insecurities. He stroked his finger across the open issue of an "Unkindness of Ravens", his eyes travelling over the pages that told a story of pain, emptiness, and indifference. He read the reminiscent words slowly, digesting each one.

_When she walked there was a certain confidence that seemed to radiate off of her. She was a goddess, worshipped by the entire population. Long raven colored tresses spilled down her back, glimmering hazel eyes that held a certain mystery to them flickered with brilliance, dime-sized dimples contributed to the most infectious smile I'd ever seen, and cherry red lips encased two perfect rows of pearly whites. When she moved, her body, which resembled a model's, swayed from side to side, showing off her voluptuous curves and toned stomach. She kinked an eyebrow at the guy across the room, looking for her newest conquest of the night. She was sexy, seductive, and perfect; she was every guys dream; including mine. I remember the first time I spoke to Brooke Davis. We were in the eleventh grade and I had crossed some sort of forbidden boundary, daring to talk to my half-brother's lover and best friend. Everyone knew that Brooke and Nathan were lovers, friends with benefits or whatever you want to call them, but no official dating label was put on them. I was headed to my first block English class. School didn't start for another twenty five minutes but I was studious and enjoyed being punctual and my earliness would give me more time to read ahead. I turned the corner, the hallway completely empty, and my body crashed into another, much smaller than mine._

"_I'm sorry," I apologized, bending down to pick up the unknown person's books._

"_It's okay…" Her voice was sweet and soft, like honey. I looked up and standing before me was the Brooke Davis, the center of all males' dreams. She was the most beautiful girl that I had personally ever laid eyes on but then again half the school also thought the same thing._

"_I should probably watch where I'm going," I smiled lightly as I handed the books that had fallen to her, watching as she enveloped them in her arms. "I'm Lucas," I offered awkwardly, extending my hand towards her._

_She looked me over once, before smiling. "Brooke." She accepted my gesture. "But, you probably already knew that." Those infectious dimples were enough to make my heart melt._

"_Yeah," I chuckled nervously, my hands shaking slightly, as I noticed the book in her hand. "You read Steinbeck?"_

_She shrugged as she fingered the books hard surface. "A friend recommended it to me."_

"_It's a great book," I smiled. "I didn't know you read."_

"_There's a lot you don't know about me," she smirked, leaning forward, so that I got a clear view of her ample cleavage. "Most people think I'm just a brainless slut so it doesn't occur to them that I just might actually enjoy doing intelligent things like reading."_

"_Here," I offered, reaching into my book bag, pulling out a novel entitled 'The winter of our discontent'. "If you enjoy Steinbeck, this book is amazing, it's about giving in to temptation."_

"_Giving in to temptation, huh?" she smirked, kinking an eyebrow. "Now that's a topic that I should quite enjoy."_

_She was about to say something else when a harsh tone stopped her. "Brooke!" It belonged to my half-brother Nathan._

"_You don't have to hang out with losers like Nathan. He might be popular but he's brainless, you're better than that," I spoke quietly, my hand drawing away from the book I'd handed her. I don't know where that came from, it was just an urge inside of me._

"_You don't know me," she spoke, her tone changing to one of indifference. "And you don't know him either."_

"_Brooke, what are you doing talking to this loser?" Nathan hissed bitterly, his glare cold and venomous._

"_He just ran into me and dropped my books everywhere," she spoke distastefully, sending me a look almost identical to the one I'd just received from Nathan._

"_Let's go," Nathan smirked, grabbing her arm and escorting her away from me._

_As I watched her fleeting figure, I couldn't help but feel letdown. I really thought that she was something different but then her tone changed to cold when my half-brother was present. Maybe she was just as shallow as I'd thought. _

Lucas sighed as he closed the book and tucked it into his suitcase. Selling out Brooke Davis was going to be difficult. Although he hated her indifference towards him in high school, he knew that Brooke was a lot different than she fronted. There was something more to her, a certain vulnerability that made him believe she was a good person with bad guidance. But this was his career and a person that treated him like scum on the bottom of her shoe in high school wasn't going to stand in the way of his dreams.

* * *

><p>AN: So this chapter was more of a filler. The italics signify dialogue from Luke's book just to clear up any confusion. Next chapter, Brooke and Lucas will meet and the story will start to heat up. Anyways, please review!<p> 


	4. Change The World

**Brooke Davis is gonna change the world someday. She's already changed mine, and I'm not sure that she even knows it.**

The words he'd carefully written ten years ago replayed in his mind as he stared at the fashion empire before him. He found it so hard to believe that someone he didn't even know or had only spoken to a handful of times could change his world so much in such a short period of time. She'd been his first crush, the first girl that made him yearn for the feeling of love. She was a mystery, one that he wanted so badly to unravel, and she had centered so many of his dreams. From afar he'd discovered that she was different. She wasn't what she pretended to be. She was vulnerable and she hid behind sturdy, invincible walls, in order to protect herself from hurt and pain. Brooke Davis made him believe in the possibility of love. He didn't know it was possible to love someone that he knew hardly a thing about so much.

Clothes over bro's loomed overhead, an intimidating building, located in upscale New York. It was amazing that someone who was expected to marry a rich guy and be a gold-digger for the rest of her life had built such an extravagant and lavish company. People always assumed Brooke would be like her mother-marry rich and live off of his money. Lucas figured that was the fuel that had built COB. Brooke was always aggressive and defined and she was determined to prove all of the people that never believed in her wrong.

He took a deep breath and swallowed as he pushed the large double doors open, entering the fashion empire. Mannequins with clothes wrapped around them and people meticulously stitching fabric to design elegant clothes were the first sight that he was greeted with. A woman with her hair in a tight bun sat before a desk, typing away on her computer. Lucas slowly made his way to the woman, receiving odd looks, as his shoes clicked against the hardwood floor softly. To say he felt uncomfortable would be an understatement.

"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked stiffly, raising an eyebrow. He had never felt more out of place; not even in high school.

"Yeah," he nodded, slipping his hands deep into his pockets. "I need to speak with Brooke Davis, please?"

"Miss Davis is a very busy person so unless you have an appointment… I'm sorry but you'll have to wait in line," she responded tightly. "If you give me your name I can try to schedule you an appointment although she isn't available until September."

Lucas was about to protest when a small voice from behind him interrupted. "I'm sorry but did I just hear you say that you needed to speak with Brooke?"

A petite woman with long brown hair that fell past her shoulders, deep brown eyes, and glasses resting atop her nose, sent him a small smile. "Yeah," he nodded in response. "I have a business proposition for her."

"Millicent, Brooke is all booked up until September," the receptionist warned her firmly. "You know that."

"Actually her ten thirty just cancelled so she is available as we speak. Would you like me to page her and let her know that you're here?"

"That would be great," Lucas smiled appreciatively. "My name is Lucas…"

Millicent disappeared behind an office door as Lucas impatiently tapped his foot against the hardwood floor, receiving a glare from the bitchy receptionist.

"Miss Davis says she has about five minutes of free time to squeeze you in," Millicent smiled as she reappeared. "But I had to pull a few strings so…"

"Well thank you," Lucas grinned. "I appreciate it, I really do."

"Just take the elevator to the third floor. Her office is the first door on the right. It's kind of hard to miss."

Lucas nodded and thanked Millicent yet again as he pressed the up bottom for the elevator and waited patiently.

The door to Brooke's office was indeed hard to miss. Brooke Davis; CEO, was splattered across the top of the glass door. Lucas let out a deep sigh as he lifted his hand and knocked.

"It's open!"

He slowly turned the door handle and poked his head inside. Awards, pictures, and plaques of achievement scattered the walls and an enormous bay window overlooked the elegant city of New York. Her back was turned to him and she quickly snapped her computer shut, swiveling around in her chair to face him.

She looked even more gorgeous than the last time he'd seen her, which he didn't think was possible. The teenage girl that he'd once lusted for sat before him, now a woman. She wore a knee-length black dress that showed she still had her curvaceous body accompanied by a pair of black high heels. Her hair fell loosely to her shoulders and was shorter than he remembered and a slightly lighter shade of brown. Her hazel eyes were the same; still full of mystery and brilliance and that dimpled smile that had once made him weak in the knees shone through when she saw him.

"Well hello there…" she smiled flirtatiously as she looked him over approvingly. "What brings you into my office handsome?"

For a minute it seemed like time had frozen. She had become even more confident as the years flew on by. "I uh…" he stuttered, clearing his throat as he stared at the brunette vixen, completely taken aback by her mesmerizing beauty, irresistible charm, and iridescent confidence. "Well… I… I have a uh… business proposition for you," he managed to get out.

"What kind of a proposition?" she asked interestedly, kinking her eyebrow, a habit that she had possessed since she was a teenager. "Sit," she smiled warmly, motioning towards the seat across from her.

"Thanks," he nodded curtly, taking a seat opposite her. "My name is Lucas, you probably don't remember me but I remember you…"

"Did we sleep together?" she asked point blankly, causing Lucas to let out a small choke as she pondered his statement. "Nah, I'd definitely remember that," she smirked, looking him over again.

"No… we uh… we went to high school together. Tree Hill High School; grad class of 2004, ring any bells?"

"Really?" she smirked, lifting an eyebrow habitually. "I'm pretty sure that I would have remembered you… and probably have hooked up with you."

"Lucas," he offered, sliding his hand forward. She accepted the gesture as her face twisted to a look of confusion.

"Lucas?" she questioned, her brain working at a rapid place to match a face to the name. "I can't say that I remember you, which is odd because I'm pretty sure that I would…"

"Nathan Scott's half-brother; that might jog your memory a little," he smirked, as the past came flooding back to him in a sudden wave of nostalgia. It was almost painful to be reminded of his high school years.

"No…" she shook her head, a small smile gracing her lips. "There's no way in hell…"

"Yes, the one and only, in the flesh," he smiled back condescendingly.

"Well if there's one thing that I have to say, it's that the years have most definitely done you justice," she commented as she crossed her legs and lifted an eyebrow. "Lots of justice actually… I just might actually sleep with you."

"W-what?" he choked out, the color of red dispersing across his cheeks like a wildfire.

"I was kidding," she smirked, clearly amused by a flustered Lucas. "Well actually no I wasn't. I would definitely sleep with you but that's beside the point. So what is this proposition that you have for me?"

"Have you ever read my book; 'An Unkindness of Ravens'?"

"I can't say that I can recall reading that, no."

"Well, I have decided to make a movie based on it with my friend Julian and I would love for you to help with the production…"

She looked at him for a second, her expression unreadable, before bursting out into a fit of contagious laughter. "I'm flattered that you'd love my help, I really am, but in case you haven't noticed, this is a fashion company," she motioned around the room to the many fashion awards littering the walls. "Not a movie production company. I design clothes. I don't make movies."

"I know that," he cracked a small smile. "I need someone to do the wardrobe for the movie. The location is in Tree Hill so I think that it would be great if you returned home for a few months to help with the costume designing…"

"As tempting as that sounds, I'll have to pass."

"It's an amazing opportunity," he responded without missing a beat.

"Why does it have to be me? There are thousands of other talented designers out there…"

"I know that," he agreed. "But you were there. Your character is mentioned quite frequently in the novel and so is Nathan and you lived that life Brooke. You have the knowledge and the experience that is needed in order to pull off a great film…"

"I understand," she nodded, pondering the thought. "But I still have to pass. I'm very busy running my own company and I can't leave it. I don't trust anyone enough to run my company in my absence, except maybe my mother, but I won't resort to needing her assistance."

"Well that's too bad because I was really counting on you to be there for the film's production. I don't think I'll be able to find another designer that can do the job I know that you can," he prodded, trying his best to sound convincing. He shot her a weak, disheartened smile. "But thanks for your time and it was nice seeing you again."

"Wait," she sighed as he was about to turn around dejectedly. "I'm sorry, okay? I wish that I could help but I just don't know if I can. I mean I would love to do it but I have my own priorities and it just doesn't fit into my hectic schedule right now."

"I understand," Lucas nodded with a saddened expression etched across his face. "Here," he whispered, reaching into his tote bag and pulling out an issue of his book. "Read this, please and I think it might change your mind. If you realized what an influence you had on the story and an impact you indirectly had on my life, you might be able to enhance your understanding as to why I specifically wanted you to work on the movie."

"Lucas…"

"Here's my card," he smiled brightly, handing her his business card. "I'm going to be staying at the Hilton for the next two days. After you've read the book, please let me know if you change your mind and can rework your schedule in order to work on the movie. It would really mean a lot to me."

"I'm not changing my mind. I told you that I would love to but I can't…"

"Well whatever, you know where to find me when you change your mind," he winked, turning and grabbing the doorknob, pushing the glass door open.

"Hey Lucas?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm not going to help you make that movie but you said that you're still in town for two days so if you're looking for a night of sex, you know where to find me," she winked, before strutting past him and out the door, towards her next meeting, which she was already late for, and leaving a stunned Lucas behind.

* * *

><p>"Brooke, what's up?" Victoria asked, staring at the younger brunette who was impatiently tapping her foot against the meticulously polished hardwood floor.<p>

"Nothing…" Brooke shrugged as she began randomly rearranging things on her desk. "Why would you think that something is up?"

"Well…" Victoria started, slowly running her fingertips along the smooth surface that encased Brooke's desk. "You've been quiet all day. You hardly said a word at the board meeting this morning, which is unlike you and you haven't been throwing demands around at your employees, which is also unlike you. So I repeat, what's up?"

"Nothing," Brooke snapped, reverting her attention back to her desktop, which she suddenly found very amusing. "Besides, it's not like you care anyways."

"Brooke…" the older brunette sighed, running a hand along her temple tiredly. "I know I've been a bad mother in the past but despite what you think, I do care. If something is bothering you and you'd like to talk about it, I'm here to listen."

"It's just that with work and everything lately, I feel like I've had no time to do anything," Brooke let out a frustrated sigh. "I know this company is what I wished for and I love it, I really do, but sometimes I just wish that I could live a normal life, one where work isn't my sole priority."

"Brooke I have made a lot of mistakes in my life okay? When I was young I dreamed of having a life almost identical to the one that you are living right now. And I could have had it all until…"

"You got pregnant with me?" Brooke interrupted as she looked at her hands, the feeling of guilt promptly consuming her and triggering an unsettling feeling to build up in the pit of her stomach. She had always blamed herself for the way that she'd been treated growing up. She had always lived with the notion that she was more of a burden than a blessing to her parents.

"Yes," Victoria nodded, a small smile spreading across her face. "And for a long time I blamed you for it. It wasn't until recently that I realized something though. It didn't matter how much money I had or how much fame I had achieved over the years because having a daughter to love is much more fulfilling. Money, fame and fortune will come and go, but you'll always be my daughter Brooke…"

"So you're saying that I should have a child?" Brooke raised an eyebrow daringly, confusion etching its way across her face.

"No," Victoria shook her head, locks of brunette hair shaking and falling into place. "I'm saying that you should look for love. Love is constant Brooke. But this company; it's not constant. There is no guarantee that you are always going to have this company in your life but if you can find someone that you love with everything inside of you and that loves you back equally, you can guarantee that you will always have that. Whether that love be found in the form of a relationship, a friendship, or a child, it's the greatest thing that you could possibly have in your life, above all the money and success."

Brooke looked at her mother suspiciously. When the hell did she become so wise? "But, look at you and _Richard_," she commented, saying his name with pure and utter disgust. "Look how well that turned out…"

"Honey, Richard and I didn't epitomize true love in its purest form. Richard and I were together for all the wrong reasons and honestly, I don't think that there was a moment in which I ever truly loved him. I was like you Brooke; I was content with my life as the wife of a rich and successful businessman. I loved the fame and the money and I lived for that expensive lifestyle. But, I wasn't truly happy. And it took me a long time to realize that money, fame, and a horrendous, fake marriage weren't the key to my happiness. I just want to prevent you from making the same mistakes that I did."

"Wow," Brooke looked at her mother, clearly taken aback by the wisdom, truth, and sincerity in Victoria's words. "I didn't know that you felt that way."

"And neither did I until recently," Victoria responded. "This life," she continued, motioning around Brooke's office, "is great, don't get me wrong. But it's not you. This is the life that someone like your father is destined to live but you're better than that. You created this company through hard work, determination and an astonishing talent and that is how you should continue it, not by depriving people of their money."

"Mom, I was destined to turn out this way; to fall in love with money and fame, okay? Love doesn't exist, and I will truly believe that until I am proven otherwise. Every example I have ever seen of 'true love' has failed! This is my fate, it's who I was meant to be and I am going to keep believing that until I am proven otherwise!"

"Brooke…"

"Just drop it!" Brooke snapped, before her mother could begin another wise speech. "God, I have so much friggen work to do!"

"Remember what I said about taking that break?" Victoria asked, standing up and glancing at her watch.

"I know and I want to but I just… I can't. The timing isn't ideal."

"Why not?" Victoria asked, her brow furrowing. "The new line is done and I told you that I would run the company for you while you're away…"

"I can't!" Brooke snapped, turning her computer on and preparing to launch herself into work, in attempt to escape from her problems.

"You might not want to hear this Brooke but I think that you should go back home; to Tree Hill."

"What?" Brooke turned to look at her mother incredulously. "Why would you even suggest that?"

"It's just that you have so much pressure being put on you right now and I think that if you returned to Tree Hill for a few months to clear your head and just escape from this life, it would be the best thing for you. And you know what they say; home is where the heart is."

"I don't want to go back to Tree Hill, okay? I don't like the person that I was there and I hate being reminded of the immature high school Brooke." That was a total load of bullshit though. She missed being the high school Brooke.

"Brooke, I was sort of eavesdropping yesterday and I caught your conversation with that Lucas boy. I think that you should work on that movie with him. It would be an amazing opportunity and maybe being back in Tree Hill will help you become the old Brooke again; because I'm beginning to miss the old Brooke more than anything.

"You were eavesdropping on my conversation mother?" Brooke looked at her mother, disbelief edging its way across her face "What the hell does a girl have to do to get any fucking privacy around here?"

"Just think about it Brooke," Victoria smiled, reaching for the doorknob and pushing the glass door open. "We all miss the old Brooke."

Ugh, who the hell was her mother to come in here and tell her that she doesn't like the person she's become? But Victoria did have a valid point. Brooke was working herself way too much lately and maybe a little trip away from reality would do her some good. And who knows, maybe, just maybe, she will be able to find herself and become the person that her mother thinks she's destined to become.

* * *

><p>The brunette let out a frustrated sigh as she pushed open the door to her apartment at a fairly reasonable time. She wanted nothing more than to just curl up with a glass of red wine and a good book and shut the world away for the rest of the night. She looked at her iPhone and shook her head before shutting the device off and tossing it into a bowl on her counter along with her keys.<p>

She poured herself a glass of wine and relished the taste as the red liquid hit her mouth. She made her way to the bedroom, dropping her work bag and computer off on the kitchen table along the way. She peeled her clothes off and changed into a pair of old Ravens cheer shorts and a Ravens cheer t-shirt. She realized that she was forgetting the book she'd most recently been reading so she ventured back into the kitchen in attempt to find it. She moved some things around on the cluttered kitchen table and accidently knocked over her work bag, spilling its contents onto the floor. As she bent down to pick them up with a heavy sigh, she found herself holding onto a version of Lucas's novel. She sighed again, flipping through the pages and letting them slip between her fingers. She could give it a try, couldn't she? After all, according to him, she was in the novel. She flipped the novel open to the first page, curling up under the covers, taking a sip of wine and preparing to engage herself in a true story that brought sadness, tears, and pain.

* * *

><p>The sun was coming up, slowly rising over the city of New York, as she set down the book, reading and digesting the final words. <strong>Brooke Davis is gonna change the world someday. She's already changed mine and I'm not sure that she even knows it. <strong>Reading the book had brought back a slew of memories as she felt a few tears slide from her hazel eyes and onto the pages. The story was raw and honest; a truly genuine memoir that could make any reader sympathize for the main character. It was shocking to her that she had such a prominent impact on the life of a boy that she didn't even know. She hadn't even realized until now that she had contributed to the pain that had fueled the story. Her and Nathan and Dan; they had been all immense parts of the formation of the story. But yet in a way he believed in her. He believed that she wasn't what she pretended to be. Her painted on smile and fake brainless slut image all fell away when it came to him because he could see right through her mask. And she was beginning to think that he was the only one that could.

**Have you ever looked at a picture of yourself and saw a stranger in the background? It makes you wonder how many strangers have pictures of you? How many moments of others' lives you've been in? Did we keep trying to get in, as if we were destined to be there? Or did the shot take us by surprise? Just think, you could be a big part of someone else's life and not even know it...**

She couldn't help but smile as she read the words of the carefully crafted story. She never imagined that she would have been such a huge part of his life. In the bottom of her heart, she knew that she owed it to him to be there for the production of the film. She felt badly for the way that she and everyone else at Tree Hill High had treated him. He'd never even been given a chance. People automatically writ him off because he was the illegitimate son of the powerful and highly manipulative Dan Scott. She just couldn't believe that he had said all of those nice things about her in his novel, because looking at herself now; she didn't think that she deserved them, even back then.

**At this moment, there are 6 billion people in the world. Some are running scared. Some are coming home. Some tell lies to make it through the day. Others are just now facing the truth. Some are evil at war with good. And some are good, struggling with evil. 6 billion people in the world. 6 billion souls. And sometimes, all you need is one.**

She smiled warmly as Lucas's quote, burned in the back of her mind. He believed in the possibly of love and the immensity of his words had almost caused her to believe in it too. Almost. But Brooke Davis didn't believe in fairytale romances. In reality magical love like that just simply doesn't exist.

As she stood up, glancing at the clock, and realizing that she should be getting to work fairly soon, a thought tugged at her mind, insistently torturing her brain. She reached into the cover of the book and pulled out a small business card, loosely stroking it between her thumb and forefinger. A deep breath escaped her lips as she reached for the phone sitting beside her bed, her hands shaking uncontrollably. This choice could change everything; the whole course and direction of her life. She knew that she had to be one hundred percent certain that this is what she wants before making the impulsive and spontaneous decision that could forever shape and alter her life. She punched the numbers in slowly, letting her finger linger over the green button that would evidently connect the call. She took in a deep breath, exhaling the air out, before clicking the green button.

"Hey…" When she heard his voice on the other line, fear instantly plagued her mind. She was making the right choice, right?

"Hey Luke… It's me… Brooke…" she said awkwardly, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet.

"Brooke, hey!" he greeted warmly, hoping that he'd done enough to convince her to make a return to Tree Hill.

"I'm just calling to inform you that I have done a lot of thinking, particularly after I read your novel, and I have reconsidered my decision regarding your business proposition… I would love to be there for the production of the film and to work on the costume designing. In fact, my mind is already swirling with great ideas."

"Seriously?" he questioned with incredulity, a Cheshire Cat-like grin making its way across his face. Hook, line, and sinker, he thought to himself.

"Yeah, the memoir is very touching," she explained, running her fingers along the slightly tattered cover that encased the story. "I'm sorry Lucas… about High School and everything. I just want to apologize for writing you off so quickly, simply because you were Dan's son and Nathan's enemy. I've been thinking about it ever since I put the book down and I've been struggling to cope with the fact that I was so indifferent and heartless towards you for no particular reason at all. So, I'm sorry."

"It's all in the past," he sighed. "I forgave you a long time ago," he lied expertly. "In fact, I never really did hold it against you."

"You didn't have to say all of those nice things about me in the novel. I didn't deserve them."

"Sure you did. And if I didn't say them then who else would?" he reasoned. "You're a special girl Brooke Davis and you have the potential to be great. But, only if you believe in yourself."

"Thank you," she smiled lightly, wiping at a tear that had slowly rolled its way down her soft face. "You really do have a way with words Lucas Scott."

"I try."

She glanced at her clock and sighed. "Shit Lucas, I'm gonna be late for work if I don't get my ass in gear. But I will be on a Tree-Hill bound plane next week. I can promise you that."

"Okay," Lucas nodded in response. "Thank you for doing this Brooke. It means a lot to me."

She hung up and didn't even realize the smile that was currently gracing her face. Next week she would be starting over on a fresh slate, hundreds of miles separating her and the company that had destroyed her life in an indirect way. She didn't understand it but there was a certain wave of excitement floating around in the pit of her stomach at the thought of returning to Tree Hill.

* * *

><p>AN: I do apologize for the long wait on the update but in my defense this has been a crazy summer! I am now working full time, have had a few family related issues to deal with, and this is also my last summer before college so I have been really dedicated to making sure that I make the most of it. Finally, some Brucas interaction! And don't worry; there will be tons more next chapter. So, you all know the drill, read and review because I'd love to hear your thoughts.<p> 


	5. Iridescent

_**Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?**_

_**You build up hope, but failure's all you've known**_

_**Remember all the sadness and frustration**_

_**And let it go. Let it go**_

_**-Iridescent, Linkin Park.**_

A familiar wave of nostalgia washed over her as she stepped out of the Tree Hill airport. She looked around cautiously, taking in the sight before her. She felt like she was being transported to a whole other world. She felt like a stranger. She called for a taxi and smiled as one quickly pulled up to the curb.

The cab driver shot her a warming smile as he lifted her bags into the back. She slipped into the backseat and a comfortable silence washed over the two occupants.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Brooke Davis."

She looked up from her phone and for the first time got a good look at the cab driver, instantly recognizing him from her high school days. "Well, well, well if it isn't Tim Smith, or should I say Dim?"

"How have you been Davis?" He chuckled as he put the car in drive and maneuvered it forward.

"Pretty great actually," she smiled brightly, her fingers quickly typing a response to the text she'd just received from Lucas, regarding location and details of the film. "You?"

"Just keeping it real," he shrugged, as his eyes focused on the road. "Where are ya headed to?"

"The Tree Hill Inn," she answered as a comfortable silence fell over the two. She stared out the window, realizing just how much she'd missed. The town had grown immensely in her absence. But there were certain things that had remained the same. They brought back a slew of memories that made her wish she was seventeen again. She lifted her eyes from the window and smiled at Tim. "So you stayed in Tree Hill, huh?"

"Where else was I gonna go? Tree Hill is home…" he trailed off as he stared out the window regretfully. "Actually… Knocking up a girl kind of makes it hard to leave… so I didn't have much of a choice but to settle for this life, you know?"

"You're a father?" Brooke's face etched with a mixture of both shock and amusement. "Really?"

"Yeah, a proud father to a little boy," Tim smiled as he pulled up to a red light. He reached for his wallet in the console and pulled out a picture, handing it back to Brooke.

"He's adorable," Brooke grinned in adoration, marveling over the little boy, as she handed him back the picture.

"At first he was just a burden. I could have played college ball and really lived out my dreams. I felt like my mistakes were only holding me back from greatness. But once I held that little boy in my arms and married the woman of my dreams, I realized that this is exactly where I wanna be. It's exactly who I'm meant to be."

Brooke smiled; clearly glad that Tim's goofy demeanor had slowly faded away as the years passed. It was nice to be able to have a normal conversation with the guy for once. "So, what's your wife like?" She quickly steered the conversation away from regrets and poor decisions.

"You know her," Tim grinned. "She was a blonde cheerleader on your squad. Most people call her an airhead but I think she's pretty fantastic."

Brooke thought about it for a minute, before it registered. "Oh my god… Bevin?"

"Yeah…"

"Wow, you knocked Bevin Mirskey up, huh? God, things have changed so much."

"You have no idea," Tim shook his head in amusement as he rounded the corner. "So what brings you back to this sleepy old town?"

"Business," she shrugged. "Lucas Scott is working on a movie here, I don't know if you've heard anything about it, but I'm doing costumes for it."

"Lucas Scott?" He turned to her and wrinkled his nose. "Isn't that Nathan's half-brother or whatever?"

"Yeah that would be him."

"No offense Brooke but why would you be teaming up with him? He's not exactly someone that you interacted with in the past."

"We were all mean to him Tim, you included. And I'm not going to let my awful past get in the way of making a great movie. And he's actually a nice guy, we just never took the time to see him for who he was and automatically writ him off because he's the unwanted son of Dan Scott."

"Here we are," Tim said softly as he pulled up in front of the Tree Hill Inn. "Need help with your bags?"

"I can manage," she smiled as he set them on the sidewalk.

Tim leaned in and engulfed Brooke in a hug. "It was good to see you again Davis. Take care of yourself…"

"Same goes for you Smith," she returned as she let go of him. "And tell Bevin I say hi."

* * *

><p>"Lucas this is ridiculous!" Julian grumbled as he threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "How hard can it be to find a half decent director?"<p>

"Why don't you be the director? You like to call all the shots anyways…"

"I'm the producer," Julian told him matter-of-factly. "I've never directed before."

"Well make your debut. I remember you telling me that you've always wanted to direct."

"Do you think so?" Julian asked nervously, looking at his hands. "I mean are you sure that I can do it."

"Yeah, I am," Lucas smiled as he shot his friend an encouraging look. "I believe that you can do a phenomenal job."

"Hey crew," a voice interrupted. "Who's ready to make a movie?"

The crew members looked up from their seats only to see Brooke Davis in the flesh. She was wearing a tight red shirt, skin tight dark blue jeans, and a pair of heels. Her hair was pinned back and swept to the side and her dimples were in full swing.

Lucas sent her a warm smile. Julian sat there with his mouth open as he took in her mesmerizing beauty. Haley rolled her eyes and focused her attention back on the lyrics in front of her. Peyton looked down and nervously fidgeted with her fingers. Jake just gave her an amused smile. Chase picked up a script and carefully scanned his eyes over it in attempt to make himself look busy. And Alex raised a challenging eyebrow at Brooke.

"Well I guess I will take the liberty of introducing myself then," Brooke smiled as she set her things down on a vacant table. I already know you," she started, sending Lucas a quick nod.

"I think I recognize you," she smiled as she looked at Alex, who was giving her a hard look.

"Alex Dupree," she answered firmly. "I'm an actress, model, and singer."

"From Seven Dreams Till Tuesday, right?"

Alex nodded. "I love that movie. So are you like an actress in this film or something?"

"I play you…" Alex smirked. "Oh and I'm also doing some of the songs on the soundtrack."

"Cool..." Brooke smiled before turning to Chase. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"We went to high school together," Chase mumbled as he lifted his eyes from the script. "Chase Adams…"

"Sorry I don't remember…"

"It's okay," Chase shrugged. "I don't expect you to."

"So what's your job?"

"I'm just friends with Lucas and some of the others. I'm not actually on the crew."

"And I sort of remember you," she smiled, kinking an eyebrow at Jake. "You played basketball sophomore year and you were good but you dropped out halfway through the season… I never did understand why though."

"It's Jake," he responded monotonically. "And I dropped out because I didn't like the politics part of it all. I just wanted to have fun and play some ball."

"Oh," she looked down. "So are you just a friend like Chase?"

"No," Jake shook his head. "I'm helping to record the soundtrack."

"I'm Julian," the director/producer quickly flashed her a smile and held his hand out. "The director and producer…"

"Oh so you're Julian? Lucas talked quite fondly about you when we met. Nice to meet you," she smiled, leaning over and shaking his hand. He gapped as he got a clear view of her cleavage.

"And who's this delightful creature?" She joked as she heard Haley scoff from behind her.

"Not someone who wants to talk to you," she responded coldly.

"I'm sorry, have I done something wrong?"

"Yeah," Haley growled as she stood up. "You made my high school career a living hell with your stupid little bitch posse."

"I'm sorry…"

"Do you even know me?" Haley glared, her face deepening with a shade of red.

"No…"

"Haley James!" She spat out vehemently. "I tutored you Senior Year and it was an awful experience! Oh and you were good friends with my slutty sister Taylor…"

"What do you know?" Brooke shook her head in amusement. "What's with all of these unattractive people becoming so good looking after high school? Of course I remember you Haley. You were the best tutor I ever had."

"You treated me like shit!"

"Sorry… I…"

Haley held her hand up, dismissing the conversation. "Don't waste your time."

She turned to the blonde next to her and smiled. "I'm Brooke…"

Peyton lifted her head, revealing her face for the first time since Brooke had arrived. "Yeah, I know who you are."

"Peyton?" Brooke's face twisted to one of confusion. "Oh my goodness, I must be going crazy because there is no way that my former best friend is sitting right before me."

"You are definitely crazy but not for that reason."

"What do you know? It is my P. Sawyer!" Brooke grinned as Peyton's sarcasm brought back many good memories. "I must say I'm surprised that you are working on this movie."

"Well I just moved back and Lucas needed someone to produce the soundtrack so I'm just here to help out…" she shrugged. Brooke didn't miss the undertone of indifference in her voice.

"How have you been P. Sawyer?"

"I have nothing to say to you…"

"Peyton!" Brooke yelled, looking at her friend regretfully. "I know I fucked up and I don't expect you to forgive me but can't we at least be civil towards each other for the sake of Lucas and this movie?"

"You know what Haley? I'm kind of hungry," Peyton smiled turning towards the petit brunette woman. "Wanna get outta here and grab some lunch?"

"Gladly," Haley smirked, sending Brooke a cold glare, as she followed Peyton out the door.

"Girls!" Julian called after them. "We haven't even started yet, you can't just leave now!"

"Shove it Julian!" Peyton returned.

"I'm kind of hungry too," Chase grinned as he set the script down, letting it slam onto the desk. "You coming?" He asked, turning to Jake. The brunette nodded and mumbled a quick sorry to Julian before bounding out the door after Chase.

"Wait! I'm coming too!" Alex yelled as she grabbed her purse and ran out the door after Jake and Chase.

"Well this is just great!" Julian growled as he ran his hand through his hair. "Our first day and everyone just heads out!"

Lucas gave him an apologetic look but he just waved it off, grabbed his coat and stomped out of the room.

"And then there were two," Lucas smiled goofily at Brooke. "So, are you hungry too?"

"Starving…"

"Well then let's go," Lucas grinned as he held the door open for the brunette. "I know a great little place."

* * *

><p>Lucas stopped when they arrived in front of a small café called Karen's café. Brooke recognized it but she had never actually been inside before. "This place has got the best coffee and food in town," Lucas smiled knowingly as he opened the door for Brooke. The smell of fresh coffee and home cooked food wafted from the café, causing Brooke's stomach to growl hungrily. Lucas made his way over to a table at the back, picking up a menu on his way.<p>

He pulled Brooke's chair out for her before taking the seat across from her. "You don't need one?" she questioned when Lucas set the menu in front of her.

"Nah," he shook his head as he leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms behind his head. "I memorized the menu back in high school."

"Lucas, what can I get for you?"

Brooke looked up and saw a brunette with a kind smile and warm brown eyes standing at their table, wearing an apron with a pad of paper and a pencil in her hand.

"I'll have a coffee and a burger with fries ma."

"Ma?"

"Sorry Brooke this is my mother, Karen."

"You're mom owns this place?"

"She has since I was a baby," Lucas smiled proudly.

"I'm Brooke," the brunette offered as she reached across the table and stuck her hand out for Karen, who gladly accepted the gesture. "I'm designing costumes for Lucas's movie."

"Nice to meet you Brooke," Karen smiled as she raised an eyebrow at her son knowingly. "I've heard a lot about you. In fact, that was all I heard about back when Lucas was in high school."

"Ma!" Lucas scolded the older brunette as he covered his face with his hands. "Seriously?"

Brooke gave him an amused smile. "I'll have the chicken Caesar salad and a coffee please."

"Good choice," Karen smiled as she took the menu from Brooke's hand, sent the two young adults an amused smile, and turned around to fulfill their orders.

"So that's your mom, huh?" Brooke smiled as she turned to Lucas with a goofy grin on her face. "She seems nice."

"Don't listen to her, sometimes she just blurts things out without even realizing what she is saying," Lucas mumbled embarrassedly, his eyes suddenly finding the tabletop very amusing.

"Lucas, I've read the book, I know all about your feelings towards me in school," Brooke told him matter-of-factly.

"It's embarrassing!"

"It's not embarrassing," Brooke smiled with the kink of an eyebrow. "Most boys had those fantasies about me, really I don't find it weird or embarrassing at all." It was weird but she felt a strange pull towards Lucas, something she'd never felt before. It was deeper than a physical and sexual attraction.

The food arrived on cue and they both thanked Karen. "So, you don't have a girlfriend do you?"

Lucas was clearly taken aback by her abruptness. "Uh…no… not at the moment."

"That's a shame. Some girl doesn't know what she's missing," Brooke stated plainly as she looked him over approvingly, licking her lips lightly.

"Brooke Davis are you trying to seduce me?" Lucas asked jokingly as he took a bite of his burger.

Brooke was clearly surprised at his forwardness because since they'd met he had been the one to hold back. "Depends… Is it working?"

"Maybe, I guess you'll never know," Lucas smiled mysteriously as he stood up, threw some cash down on the table and headed for the door.

"Hey Lucas!" Brooke called after him, making an impulsive decision.

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to go out with me sometime?" she asked rather bluntly, before realizing that she'd just asked him out. She never asked a guy out ever. "I mean… I... For the first time Brooke Davis understood what it felt like to feel flustered and embarrassed.

"Are you asking me out Brooke Davis?"

"Maybe, I guess you'll never know," she copied as she turned around and began walking down the street.

"Brooke!"

"Yeah?"

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"I'll go out with you sometime. How about dinner tonight? I will pick you up at the hotel at seven."

"Sounds like it could be fun. I mean I wouldn't want to turn you down, after all it was your fantasy to go out with me in high school."

"Brooke, you do realize that you asked me out?" Lucas told her, his face twisting to confusion.

"I know. But I figured you were going to ask me out eventually. I mean how could you resist this?" she asked rhetorically, motioning towards her body. "So I thought I'd save you the time and just ask you, because we all know how shy you are."

"How's this for shy?" Lucas asked with the kink of his eyebrow as he leaned in and gently brushed his lips across hers.

"Not bad," Brooke smiled as he pulled away. "But this is better." She hungrily attacked his lips, pouring every ounce of passion and desire inside of her into that kiss. For a second it seemed like the world had stopped and nothing else mattered. She had forgotten about herself and who she truly was. She wouldn't let herself fall for him. "See you tonight at seven," she quickly smiled once they pulled apart and before she knew it, she was walking down the street, him smiling after her.

"What the hell was that?"

Lucas turned around to see Haley standing behind him and she did not look pleased.

"Excuse me?"

"I saw you kiss her Lucas. What the hell?"

"That was just… we uh… I'm doing it as part of my job, okay? The only way that I can get close to Brooke is by being with her all time. And well this is the best way to do it," Lucas explained quickly. The truth was he felt bad because the more time that he spent with Brooke, it became harder to follow through with his task. He hated to admit it but he actually liked Brooke. And this was going to be extremely hard.

"Lucas, I say this because I care about you okay?" Haley started as she looked at her hands. "Just be careful okay? I've seen Brooke Davis in action and I don't want you to get hurt.

"Haley it's an act. If anyone gets hurt, it will be her."

"They all say that Lucas. And in the end they always get hurt. Brooke Davis is a professional heartbreaker. I watched from the sidelines in high school and if there was one thing that I noticed it was that Brooke is simply detached. She's afraid to get hurt so she ends things before they can get too serious. They all end up falling for her because she's Brooke Davis-she gets all the guys. But you'll get burned Lucas if you end up falling for her charm. They all do."

"Hales… It's just a game. There will be no real feelings involved," Lucas told her strictly, although he had a very hard time believing that himself.

"A game?" Haley raised an eyebrow. "I understand that your job is important and as much as I hate Brooke Davis, don't make this a game. Don't break her heart Lucas, okay? You can sell her out all you want but don't bring love into this mix. If she ends up getting real feelings for you and you break her heart, she's going to be a mess. Take it from someone who knows, I wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone, not even my worst enemy.

"Hales…"

"Just be careful Lucas. There will be consequences to your actions."

Lucas let out a loud sigh as he watched Haley retreat down the street. Breaking Brooke's heart was the last thing on his mind. Surely she wouldn't develop real feelings for him, would she?

* * *

><p>"Would you look at that, you still suck."<p>

Lucas cocked his up to see the last person he thought he'd ever see again standing before him. It was an older, more mature looking Nathan Scott. It was like staring at a mini version of Dan Scott. His hair was a little longer than Lucas remembered and there was an evil glint in his cold blue eyes.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Lucas hissed as he watched Nathan pick up the ball and swish it into the hoop effortlessly.

"And that's how it's done…"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Lucas repeated, ignoring Nathan's condescending comment. He hadn't let them bother him before and he wasn't going to let them bother him now.

"You haven't heard?" Nathan smirked with the raise of an eyebrow. "I got traded to the Charlotte Bobcats from the Lakers. Tree Hill is once again my home."

"What the fuck are you doing in Tree Hill and not Charlotte?" Lucas asked, his voice thick with iciness.

Nathan shrugged as he knocked down another shot. "My roots are here."

"Nobody wants you here," Lucas growled, venom seeping from his voice and rearing its' ugly head.

"Well my dad does," Nathan bit back, knowing he had hit a sensitive spot.

"Your dad is in jail for killing my uncle you asshole," Lucas returned as he scooped up the ball and whipped it at Nathan, slamming it into his stomach. "Stay the hell away from me and my friends."

"I saw you kissing Brooke."

"Good," Lucas smiled as he unlocked his truck and pulled the door open.

"Stay away from my girlfriend."

"Your girlfriend? The last time I checked, she dumped your sorry ass."

"We'll see about that," Nathan smiled cockily as he threw the ball at the net, watching it swish in perfectly. "She will be mine again. Why would she want a loser like you when she can have someone like me?" Before Lucas could rebut Nathan was gone.

* * *

><p>"Well, well, if it isn't Nathan Scott."<p>

"Oh look it's my favorite person. Well besides my half-…"

"Brother," the curly blonde cut in, a satisfying smirk firmly planted on her face.

"He's not my brother!"

"Oh but he is," Peyton smiled, knowing she had gotten under the brunette's skin. After all that was one of her favorite past times. "Genetics proves it."

"Well genetics is a bunch of bullshit," Nathan grumbled bitterly. He hated Peyton Sawyer with an undying passion. The two had a history that impeccably depicted the typical love-hate relationship. Before he started dating Brooke, he'd had a very physical relationship with Peyton, behind closed doors of course. They'd meet a few times a week, talk about how much they hated each other, and have some incredible sex. Of course, after he and Brooke became a couple, they stopped and had continued to hate each other ever since.

"Keep telling yourself that."

"So how have you been Sawyer?" Nathan asked with a condescending smirk. He loved pushing her buttons and she was the only one who would react in such a way.

"Fuck you. Let's cut straight to the chase. Excuse my bluntness but what the fuck are you doing here?"

"I got traded to the Bobcats so you should be seeing me around here quite frequently."

"Great," Peyton growled sarcastically, her teeth gritted together. "I can't wait…"

"Well let's face it Peyton, you've always wanted me. Even when I was with Brooke, I could see it. You want me so bad," Nathan smirked as he moved his body closer to hers and grabbed her waist.

"Fuck you," Peyton spat as she pushed him off of her roughly. "You're a sick bastard."

"No Lucas would be the bastard."

"No wonder nobody can love you, you're fucked in the head."

"It's okay I'm sure that Brooke would be up for a good time," Nathan smirked, striking a nerve.

"Fuck you asshole. You cheated on me with Brooke. Why the hell would you bring that up! You know that is the one thing that ruined my friendship with her and it's your fault!" Well that wasn't the only thing that had ruined their relationship. They had gotten over that. But Nathan didn't need to know that.

"Technically, I didn't cheat on you. We weren't dating."

"But you promised me that we would. Then I walked in on you fucking my best friend only to find out that you were dating her the next day."

"Not my fault Brooke was a better fuck," Nathan shrugged. "I wonder if she's still as good as she was in high school. I bet she's even better…"

"I swear to god if you touch her I will fucking kill you. We may not be friends anymore but you are a piece of shit and Brooke doesn't deserve that. Nobody does."

"You're feisty. I like it."

"Go to hell. Or better yet go fuck yourself," Peyton growled coldly as she turned on her heel.

"Don't let the door hit your fat ass on the way out," Nathan chuckled as he watched Peyton's retreating figure disappear through the door. The only response he got was Peyton's middle finger fly up into the air. He chuckled to himself. As annoying as Peyton Sawyer was she was the only girl other than Brooke that challenged him. And he loved that about her.

* * *

><p>AN: I know that the update on this is way past due but a recent accident in which I popped my shoulder out of place hindered me from writing for a while. I started writing again a few weeks ago but now that I'm in college I will not have much time to update. Luckily I had two cancelled classes today so I decided to write. I can't promise frequent updates on stories now that college is in full swing but I can try my best to update better than I have been lately. Anyways next chapter is Brucas date and more interaction from the different characters, particularly Nathan and Peyton, Nathan and Brooke and Brooke and Peyton. Nathan seems like a real asshole but I promise that he will get better, just give it some time. Also there is some Naley history, Brathan history and Pathan history. I hope to explain that in further detail next chapter. There will be lots of high school flashbacks. Anyways, please review and let me know what you think.<p> 


End file.
